1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an endoscope reprocessor including a liquid supply section that supplies liquid to an immersion tank.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an endoscope reprocessor, an endoscope is cleaned and disinfected by selectively supplying, from a liquid supply section provided in an immersion tank, liquids such as cleaning solution, disinfectant solution, and rinsing water to the immersion tank in which the endoscope is housed, up to a predetermined water level. During a cleaning and disinfecting process, also an inner surface of a lid portion of the endoscope reprocessor which closes the immersion tank is required to be cleaned, disinfected, and rinsed.
Note that the inner surface of the lid portion generally includes a convex-shaped groove in which an upper end side of the liquid supply section is located and a flat portion extending from a lower end of the convex-shaped groove in a horizontal direction, and a configuration is known, in which liquid is supplied from the liquid supplying section to the immersion tank up to the water level at which the flat portion of the lid portion is immersed in the liquid, in order to clean, disinfect, and rinse the flat portion.
When the flat portion of the lid portion is immersed in the liquid, air bubbles sometimes adhere to the flat portion. In such a case, it has been difficult to clean, disinfect, and rinse the part of the flat portion to which air bubbles adhere.
Therefore, in conventional reprocessors, the air bubbles are removed from the flat portion of the lid portion with the flowing liquid, by circulating the liquid, through the use of a liquid circulation port and liquid supply section provided in the immersion tank, back to the immersion tank at the water level at which the flat portion of the lid portion is immersed in the liquid.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2009-225813 discloses a configuration in which a plurality of protrusions and an inclined surface which inclines toward a convex-shaped groove are formed on the flat portion of the lid portion, to move air bubbles from the flat portion toward the convex-shaped groove side with the liquid sent from the liquid supply section by means of a space formed with a plurality of protrusions, the inclined surface, and buoyant force of the air bubbles.